As the years pass, more people are gradually changing their view of cosmetic surgery from guardedly negative to hopefully positive. In February of 2005, a study was published which found that 5% of college students reported having cosmetic surgery. Most of the 559 students interviewed knew someone who had had it, and didn’t rule it out for themselves in the future.
Factors contributing to the increased popularity were thought to be media promotion, medical advances, and general peer pressure as more people begin to accept the idea. Certainly it is true that medical advances have made cosmetic surgeries safer, faster, and less traumatic to the body.
For example, liposuction has advanced from the original procedure in ways that make it easier to for both surgeon and patient.
Wet liposuction – injecting a small amount of special fluid beforehand to help break up the fatty tissue and prolonged postoperative pain relief.
Tumescent liposuction – injecting a much larger amount of the fluid to make fat removal even easier;
Ultrasonic liposuction – using ultrasound vibration in the cannula (fat removal tube) to liquefy the fat even more for easy removal
Today, most cosmetic surgeons use the tumescent or ultrasonic method, or a combination of both.
On spring break
Thanks to medical advances such as increased use of lasers, most cosmetic surgeries have shorter recovery times and less risk of complications. Spring Break is a great time to have your procedure, recover, and present yourself back at school with a whole new look. Many people would think you simply look more rested, or would congratulate you on your successful dieting, faithful exercising or new hair style!
By far the majority of people who have cosmetic surgery are female. That is not surprising considering that we are showered daily with idealized images of female beauty. More males are starting to show interest, but only with certain procedures and not with the same preoccupation with total beauty that women display.
One of the requirements for good cosmetic surgery candidacy is having realistic expectations. It might be as well to remember that the images of perfection we see daily have been painstakingly created by first choosing a model with photogenic characteristics, and then spending hours with lighting, makeup, posture experts, clothing specialists and hairdressers. Which of us living normal lives can match that time and money investment? Accepting yourself, both strengths and limitations, is a healthy step to take whether or not you have cosmetic surgery.
Please e-mail or call our Arlington Heightsor Chicago plastic surgery offices for more information on cosmetic surgery options.
